Batman is inching ever closer to a century of fighting crime in Gotham City, and has become one of the most famous superheroes in the world doing it. He's taken on an incredible array of villains, from murderous clowns to murderous crocodile men to murderous versions of himself from other realities. But he has never taken on someone quite like Samurai Jack.
The time travelling warrior put more than a lifetime into taking down an evil shape shifting demon named Aku. While they would end up working together, Batman and Jack would probably have a classic superhero fight to kick their new friendship off.
11 SAMURAI JACK: Training
As a child, Jack's parents sent him on a worldwide journey to train among various cultures. The goal was to learn and hone his diverse combat skills as well as other talents like horseback riding. Jack's journeys took him to parts of Africa, Greece, Russia, and more. He even spent time in England with Robin Hood, who helped Jack sharpen his archery skills.
The icing on the cake was his time at a Shaolin Temple where he learned martial arts, among other things. This trip constituted 20 years of his life, eventually returning home to fight Aku and get sent far into the future.
10 BATMAN: Combat Master
Batman's training didn't start at as young an age as Jack's, but it was incredibly comprehensive nonetheless. While he found teachers and instructors in a variety of disciplines, he also studied a range of fighting styles. After years of training, he incorporated all the different styles into one, essentially creating his own unique combat system.
It's obviously served him well as he's kicked an insane number of butt over the years. On top of that, Batman has folded the shocking arrays of weapons and gadgets in his arsenal into his fighting style, making it even more unique.
9 SAMURAI JACK: Defeating Multiple Opponents
When it comes to a one-on-one fight, Samurai Jack is not someone you want to get into the mix with. The guy can tear pretty much anyone apart and the number of times he has taken on entire armies of robots sent after him by Aku & come out on top is positively staggering.
Numbers don't seem to matter to the guy at all. He just keeps fighting, slashing his way through his opponents. Naturally, Jack formulates incredible plans to get this done but he also isn't afraid to wade into the fray and just do the work.
8 BATMAN: Keen Detective's Mind
The scariest thing about Batman isn't the fact that he can lay an epic beating on pretty much anyone. It also isn't the fact that he's dresses like a bat, which brings up a lot of questions when you stop and think about it.
The scariest thing about Batman is his intellect. He isn't called the world's greatest detective because he can't figure out which of the 50 kids he's adopted and sent to fight crime stole the fresh cookies Alfred just baked. The man is cold, calculating, and scary smart. That is truly what puts his enemies on edge.
7 SAMURAI JACK: Battle Plans
While Jack might not have an issue hacking and slashing his way through problems when necessary, he wouldn't have survived against Aku as long as he did without being able to craft impressive battle plans.
After being thrust into the future, Jack ended up in the position of defending a group of anthropomorphic dog archaeologists from Aku's robotic forces. The plan he crafted was brilliant, helping him thin out the seemingly endless waves of robots. Naturally, the plan ended with him hacking and slashing his way through the remaining robots. That's just Jack.
6 BATMAN: Master Strategist
When you're a human constantly in fights against people with planet destroying powers, you had better be able to come up with a decent strategy to win. That's where Batman truly excels. He's on a team of superheroes that includes Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Superman. His neat ninja skills frequently aren't the most important attribute he brings to the table.
But being able to sort out a strategy that puts all of his allies' powers to their most effective use is far more important. Batman gives the mega powers of the DC Universe direction.
5 SAMURAI JACK: Mystical Sword
Jack's katana is the stuff of legends. When Aku invaded his father's lands, the gods Odin, Ra, and Rama banded together to forge a weapon made specifically to destroy the demon. They gave the sword to The Emperor as it was imbued with the power of his own righteous spirit.
The katana was eventually given to Jack to use in his quest against Aku. It has a variety of mystical properties, including being virtually indestructible and being able to cut through almost anything. While it was created for demon killing, it is still a formidable weapon in any circumstance.
4 BATMAN: Gadgets And Doodads
Keeping in mind that Batman is pretty gosh darn good with a sword in his hands, he rarely carries such weapons around. But what he does have is a utility belt full of neat gadgets for any occasion. Most of his gear are things like Batarangs, smoke bombs, and grappling lines. It's the kind of stuff any bat-themed vigilante would use on a day-to-day basis.
He also tends to carry some ultra specific items that are only really useful against specific members of his rogues gallery. Still, being that prepared is almost always an edge in a fight.
3 SAMURAI JACK: Sword Skills
Having an impressive blade is one thing. Using it is an entirely different story. Part of Jack's years of training as a child and young man involved learning how to fight with a sword. Over time, he became an absolute expert at it, to the point that he could generally beat anyone.
The man with that sword in his hand is a virtually unstoppable force of nature. Jack spent decades fighting with that specific katana, developing a life-defining bond. His skill with it was virtually unparalleled in any time or reality.
2 BATMAN: Intensity
Very few heroes bring the level of intensity Batman has to any situation. He has a unique level of focus that makes him difficult to deal with. When he sets his mind to a task, the man might actually be the definition of unrelenting. That doesn't mean Batman would keeping something stupid, though.
If one plan doesn't work, he'll try something new. The point is that his extreme level of intensity keeps him from giving up, making him one of the most dogged, relentless heroes in the DC Universe. If Batman is after you, the only way to get him to stop is to kill him.
1 WHO WOULD WIN?
There's a reason Batman is one of the most respected heroes in the history of comics. His fighting skills and intellect make him a difficult opponent for anyone to face. The problem for him is that Samurai Jack has the same skills, and more.
The Dark Knight would lose this fight simply because Samurai Jack is the superior warrior in skill, strategy, and experience. There's no shame in losing to a better opponent, though. And a second battle might go Batman's way as he tends to learn from his mistakes and move forward.